News review – Thursday 13 September 2018

Brexit

Mail
The Brexit Secretary will today tell the EU that Britain will refuse to pay a £39billion divorce bill if there is no deal. Dominic Raab is meeting EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier in a bid to persuade him to accept Theresa May‘s Chequers plan. He will tell him that Britain won’t pay the financial settlement if an agreement isn’t reached, saying: ‘There is no deal without the whole deal.’ The EU has already has said it will not accept the Chequers plan because it effectively keeps British goods in the single market without accepting freedom of movement. But writing in The Daily Telegraph, Mr Raab insists that Britain will not compromise further.

ITV News
The UK will not pay its £39 billion “divorce bill” to Brussels if it is refused a Brexit deal, Dominic Raab has insisted. The tough talking from the Brexit secretary came after Prime Minister Theresa May made it clear Britain would rethink its agreement to pay the exit settlement in full if it did not achieve an arrangement on future trading relations. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Raab stated that if there was no deal “the Government would not pay the terms of the financial settlement”.

BBC News
Theresa May has said she will reconsider paying the £39bn Brexit divorce bill if the UK is unable to reach a deal with the EU. Speaking in Parliament, she said the UK was a law-abiding nation which would honour its international commitments. But asked by Tory MP Chris Philp what would happen in the event of a no deal, she said the “position changes”. “The specific offer was made in the spirit of our desire to reach an agreement with the EU,” she added.

Sky News
Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab has said Britain will not pay its £39bn EU divorce bill if Brussels refuses to strike a deal. Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Mr Raab insisted the government “would not pay the terms of the financial settlement” if an agreement with the bloc was not reached. He called on “our EU friends” to match “the ambition and pragmatism” shown by the UK during the negotiations so far, adding that there would be “no deal without the whole deal”. What a “no-deal” Brexit scenario might look like should become somewhat clearer on Thursday, with the government due to detail potential effects such as the impact on roaming charges for mobile phones.

Sun
THE UK will not pay its £39 billion “divorce bill” to Brussels if it is refused a Brexit deal, Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab has said. It came after Prime Minister Theresa May made it clear Britain would rethink its agreement on the exit settlement if an arrangement on future trading relations was not reached. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Raab said “the Government would not pay the terms of the financial settlement” if there was no deal, adding: “There’s no deal without the whole deal.”

Spectator
Three senior bankers from Barclays, J.P. Morgan and Citi descended on the House of Commons today to give evidence to the Treasury Select Committee on the impact of a No Deal Brexit. Their interview must have seemed like perfect timing for Chancellor Philip Hammond, who is currently doing his own tour of the Commons and is expected to drum up support for Chequers by stoking fears of the calamitous impact of No Deal. Unfortunately for Hammond, the three bankers were not nearly as morose as the Treasury could have hoped for. Instead they said the risks of No Deal were comparable to the instability they regularly faced across the world.

Conservative Party

Independent
Senior Tory Brexiteers have called for an end to talk of a leadership challenge against Theresa May after claims of a Eurosceptic plot to oust dominated the morning news. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said any MPs talking about challenging Ms May were indulging in “stupid personality nonsense”. Jacob Rees-Mogg, ex Brexit secretary David Davis and current cabinet minister Michael Gove all made comments seeking to refocus the party’s debate on Ms May’s Brexit plans and away from her leadership.

Westmonster
Theresa May could face a Brexiteer coup ‘within days’ according to reports in the Telegraph, after a meeting of pro-Brexit Tory MPs last night. The ERG discussed toppling the Prime Minister, with one MP reportedly saying: “If she won’t chuck Chequers then I’m afraid the Party will chuck her.” Chris Hope of the Telegraph claims at least 35 MPs have formally started the procedure to call a vote of no confidence in Theresa May, 48 is the required number. However, a source close the ERG told Westmonster even within the group there is chaos: “It’s a complete sh*tshow, they’ve all fallen out and are all mad at each other.”

Sun
DOWNING Street is drawing up secret plans to dump Theresa May’s Chequers Brexit blueprint if EU leaders reject it next week. The Sun can reveal that work is underway to “pivot” away from the softer Brexit plan to allow the PM to escape a political disaster. The Tory party meets for its annual conference just 10 days after a crucial EU summit in the Austrian town of Salzburg next Wednesday. The gathering is swiftly turning into a make or break moment for Mrs May’s premiership.

GuardianJacob Rees-Mogg and his band of Brexiters were stalking the corridors of Westminster on Wednesday battling to keep control of their bid to persuade Theresa May to ditch her Chequers plans. What they had hoped would be a defining moment of their campaign – finally settling on what they claimed was a solution for the Northern Ireland border – was overshadowed by an internal disagreement over whether dumping Chequers also meant getting rid of the prime minister.

EU

Express
JEAN-Claude Juncker raised hopes of a Brexit deal yesterday by offering to work with Theresa May to build “an ambitious partnership for the future” – before Dominic Raab sent a clear no-deal warning to the EU. In a softening of his tone in the EU departure talks, the European Commission President suggested the Prime Minister’s Chequer’s plan could be the “starting point for such a partnership”. He also promised: “The UK will never be an ordinary, third country for us. The UK will always be a very close neighbour and partner, in political, economic and security terms.”

Sky News
The UK will not be allowed to pick and choose to be part of some of the single market after Brexit, the EU has warned. In the final State of the European Union address before the UK leaves the bloc, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he respected Britain’s decision to leave the bloc and that the UK would never be “an ordinary third country”. But he asked the British government to understand that the UK “cannot be in the same privileged position as a member state” when it leaves.

IndependentJean-Claude Juncker has given his clearest signal yet that the EU will not accept Theresa May’s plan to keep Britain in the single market for goods after Brexit. In his annual state of the union address in Strasbourg, the European Commission president said parts of the single market could “certainly not” be jettisoned for countries outside the bloc. But he said the Chequers proposals could be a “starting point” for the future relationship and that Britain would “never be an ordinary” country for the EU.

Sun
BRUSSELS boss Jean-Claude Juncker has given Brexiteers a major boost by suggesting Theresa May should dump Chequers and pursue a free trade agreement with the EU. The Commission chief insisted leaving the bloc meant quitting the Single Market and said the UK could “certainly not” stay half in just for goods. His remarks deliver a potentially fatal blow to the PM’s plan, which EU diplomats describe as being on life support, ahead of next week’s informal EU summit in Salzburg.

UKIP
September 12, 2018, will be remembered as a dark day for free speech across Europe. UKIP amendments to delete the report in its entirety and amendments 11 and 13 were heavily defeated. UKIP Leader Gerard Batten said: “Once more the incompetent EU Parliament with its craze for one size fits all legislation has interfered in an area which it doesn’t understand but will have severe consequences for the future. “The report was referred back to committee for negotiations with the commission and it will at some point come back for a final yes or no vote in its entirety.

Breitbart
The European Union parliament has overwhelmingly voted to enact Article 7 procedures against Hungary which could see the country stripped of its voting rights and face potential sanctions. The European Parliament voted for the proposal with 448 votes for, 197 against, and 48 abstentions following a report from Dutch Green Party MEP Judith Sargentini which accused the government of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of corruption and abuse of migrants, as well as claiming the government had interfered with press and academic freedoms, Deutsche Welle reports.

Independent
Conservative MEPs have given their support to the authoritarian government of Viktor Orban in a crunch vote in the European Parliament. Almost all of the politicians representing Theresa May’s party voted against a motion to censure the Hungarian leader, which in the end was overwhelmingly passed. Their support for the right-wing leader – accused of violating press freedoms, undermining judicial independence and waging an antisemitic campaign against a leading Jewish businessman – was attacked by Ms May’s critics in the UK.

Scallop wars

Reuters
Talks between French and British fisherman over rights to catch scallops have ended in failure, France’s agriculture ministry said on Wednesday, raising the risk of further tensions at sea. French fishermen have accused the British of unfairly catching scallops in the Baie de Seine off the coast of Normandy during the summer, when French boats are banned from doing so because of French regulations aimed at protecting shellfish stocks.

Sky News
The scallop wars that have plagued the English Channel are set to continue after peace talks between British and French fishermen collapsed. In a development Downing Street will hope is not a precursor to the climax of Brexit negotiations, UK industry leaders have walked away from talks with their continental counterparts without a deal. The discussions sought to agree compensation for UK boats to stop foraging for the molluscs, with French mariners unhappy because they are banned from fishing in the territory during the summer in order to conserve stocks.

Northern Ireland

Order-Order
Brexiteers in the ERG have published their eagerly awaited alternative solution to the vexed issue of the Irish border, after the full house of Boris Johnson, David Davis and Steve Baker turned out to the “World Trade Deal“ launch by Economists For Free Trade yesterday. This is starting to look like a coordinated push… Brexiteers are emphasising that this proposal is based on existing EU procedures and precedents and claim that it directly addresses the EU’s concerns over the border, rather than simply reheating old ideas.

BBC News
A hard border on the island of Ireland can be avoided by using “established” technology and “modifying” existing arrangements, Brexiteer Tory MPs say. The European Research Group called for streamlined customs checks and closer working between Belfast and Dublin to allay compliance and smuggling fears. The Democratic Unionist Party welcomed the “positive and timely” report but Sinn Fein said it was “pure fantasy”. The EU has insisted on a “backstop” to ensure the single market is protected.

Guardian
Angela Smith, Labour’s leader in the Lords, hopes to use an audacious parliamentary manoeuvre to offer MPs the chance to strike out controversial amendments on the Irish backstop and the customs union, forced through by hardline Brexiters in July. The taxation (cross-border trade) bill, was amended at the behest of Jacob Rees-Mogg’s European Research Group (ERG) to outlaw a customs border in the Irish Sea, and force the government to legislate before it could join a customs union, among other issues.

Telegraph
Theresa May’s Brexit plans have been dealt a blow after the Democratic Unionist Party backed a rival plan drawn up by Tory rebels to allow the UK to leave the EU’s single market and customs union without a hard border in Ireland. The European Research Group published a paper calling for equivalence of UK and EU regulations and conformity assessment for all agricultural goods on the island of Ireland. The plan – which is at odds with the Mrs May’s Brexit proposal which was agreed by her Cabinet out at her Chequers country home – was immediately backed by the DUP, whose 10 MPs are keeping the Mrs May’s Government in power.

Immigration

Times
Theresa May wants to announce strict immigration controls at the Tory party conference to reassure Brexiteers and steady her leadership in the face of open revolt. Downing Street has summoned the cabinet to a special meeting on September 24, less than a week before the party gathers in Birmingham. Immigration is expected to feature during that meeting and cabinet ministers have been promised a discussion on immigration before the conference, sources told The Times.

Sun
LABOUR vowed to scrap the Government’s “meaningless” immigration caps and make it easier and cheaper for migrants to enter Brexit Britain. Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott will promise to axe the Government’s “tens and thousands” target and introduce a new work visa if Jeremy Corbyn wins the keys to No.10. This would allow unlimited numbers of overseas workers into Britain – from care workers to scientists – if there are skills shortages. Migrants will also be offered “residency and accelerated citizenship” and the promise of an end to “exorbitant” fees for visa applications.

Travellers

Star
MINISTERS have been ordered to fix “broken” policies failing to tackle lawless traveller camps. Tory MPs say the Government should be “hanging their heads in shame” over anti-social behaviour and filth at illegal sites. They are demanding action amid rising tensions between gypsies and communities. Some want ministers to “make deliberate trespass a criminal offence”. Conservative Mark Francois said it would give police “a real deterrent power” to move travellers from land they do not own or have permission to be on.

Jacob Rees-Mogg

Telegraph
When the veteran class warrior Ian Bone ambushed Jacob Rees-Mogg outside his family home he failed to account for the MP’s indomitable nanny. Members of the anarchist group Class War were condemned after confronting the MP and his wife and telling four of their six children: “Your daddy is a horrible person”. The campaigners targeted the Conservative MP and leading Brexit supporter outside his home in Westminster yesterday evening to protest at the working conditions of his family’s nanny, Veronica Crook.

Mail
Class ‘activists’ launched a sickening tirade at Jacob Rees-Mogg’s children – including his six-year-old son – telling them their daddy is a ‘totally horrible person’. The three youngsters stood stunned while their parents tried to usher them inside, but they still heard the full bullying rant demanding to be told how much the family’s long serving nanny is paid. Activist Ian Bone, wearing a flat cap and leaning on a stick, was filmed shouting: ‘Your daddy won’t answer the question.

IndependentJacob Rees-Mogg and his family have been ambushed by protesters outside his home in Westminster. Footage posted on Tuesday by Class War, an organisation claiming to be a “working class action group”, showed police standing guard as a small group of demonstrators confronted the Conservative MP, his wife, four of his six children, and their nanny. “Your dad won’t answer the question,” one man tells two of Mr Rees-Mogg’s children, after the Brexiteer refused to reveal how much their nanny was paid.

Star
JACOB Rees-Mogg and his children have been subjected to a barrage of vile abuse outside their home. Video footage shows protestors holding a large banner as a man shouts at the Tory MP’s young children. “Your daddy is a totally horrible person,” he yells. The angry protestor then goes on to launch a tirade against the children’s nanny as she emerges from the family home to defend her employer. He demands: “Do you have an independent life of your own? What about your family?”

Justin Welby

Times
Conservative MPs attacked the Archbishop of Canterbury yesterday for “parroting Labour policy” after he criticised the government and described the gig economy as “the reincarnation of an ancient evil”. Days after backing tax rises for the rich, the Most Rev Justin Welby said that he would ignore pleas to “stay out of politics” as he delivered one of his most strident speeches at the TUC conference. He said that there was “something wrong with the tax system” if it allowed online giants such as Amazon to “leech off the taxpayer”.

Sun
THE Archbishop of Canterbury sparked fresh outrage today after delivering a left-wing tirade against Theresa May’s policies saying he had a duty to speak out because Jesus too was “highly political”. Speaking at the TUC conference, Justin Welby attacked the benefits system, called for the Government’s flagship Universal Credit scheme to be halted and said zero hours contracts should be banned. He also backed Labour’s pledge to overhaul the gig economy, which he described as “a reincarnation of an ancient evil”, called for tax hikes and said the living wage should be higher.

Mirror
The Archbishop of Canterbury today dramatically called for Universal Credit to be scrapped. Justin Welby blasted the Government’s flagship welfare reform and warned it had triggered “intense suffering” and left many poor Brits “worse off than they were”. He also said the living wage should be higher and criticised firms like Amazon for paying “almost nothing” in taxes. In a question and answer session with delegates following his speech at the TUC Congress in Manchester, Rev Welby was asked for his view on Universal Credit. He said: “Universal credit, we know, was supposed to reform the benefit system, make it simpler and more efficient.

Mail
The Archbishop of Canterbury launched an extraordinary attack on modern working conditions describing them as the ‘reincarnation of ancient evil’ in a strident speech to trade unionists. Justin Welby hit out at the ‘gig economy’, under which workers are denied benefits and are paid per job, and at zero-hours contracts which offer employees no guarantees of work. He also also attacked tax-avoiding online giants, accusing Amazon of ‘leeching off the taxpayer’. Insisting that Jesus himself had been a ‘highly political’ figure, he demanded an end to the Government’s flagship Universal Credit benefit reforms, saying the changes had heightened the risk of people going hungry.

About The Author

Debbie has been a journalist for longer than she cares to admit! She has been freelance for the last 15 years and is an associate editor on UKIP Daily, specialising in covering the morning press each day.

15 Comments

-“The Brexit Secretary will today tell the EU that Britain will refuse to pay a £39billion divorce bill if there is no deal. ”

What a genius! Clearly Mr Dominc Raab doesn’t understand what Article 50 is all about.

Article 50 allows a two year timeline before the withdrawing member is no longer bound by any EU treaties.

If a withdrawal deal is agreed before then, then the withdrawing member is released from all EU treaties and will have ‘left the EU’.

If no withdrawal deal is agreed before then, once the deadline passes, then the withdrawing member will be released from all EU treaties and will have ‘left the EU’.

The £39bn ‘divorce bill’ is a condition of our withdrawal deal (which is seperate from any ‘trade deal’). So if no withdrawal agreement is reached, we don’t pay it, its not a case of ‘refusing’ to pay it.

Sorry – ‘admin’, i.e. duty editors/moderators do not edit comment posts as a matter of editorial policy. It would leave us open to accusations of surreptitiously altering content.
Comment posters are urged to proofread their posts before posting.

Speaking of the devil:
“Now the unions back a Final Say referendum, how much longer can Jeremy Corbyn hold out?
The TUC conference in Manchester, which ends today, has edged the UK a step closer towards a Final Say referendum on Brexit.
As the debilitating row about antisemitism showed, Corbyn can be inflexible and stubborn. In contrast, his closest ally John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, displays a welcome pragmatism.”https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/final-say-brexit-referendum-tuc-jeremy-corbyn-labour-a8534166.html

Trade unions are the main donor for the Labour party – will Labour change leader sooner than Tories?

Will somebody please explain to me why in order to have a trade deal we should have free movement of people, these seem like mutually exclusive issues. India too has been driving for the same deal, the world moans about us Brits but they all want to come and live with us.

Trade is trade and immigration is immigration and the EU needs the trade deal more than we do. Just think, if we allow free movement for much longer, we’ll be outnumbered and then there’ll be another referendum on the EU which we’ll loose as we Brits will be a minority.

Because that is how they define the single market Origin was a customs union that succeded for them so they added free movement of capital and services. Successful.Then they added free movement of people to give the four pillars of the single market goods, capital, services, and people. All this has been corrupted by socialist dogma to give the existing poisonous mix which must never be changed according to comunist committee activism belief ‘never go back’